British Empire Staff Cars

[vor]

Hi I thought you might like to see a couple of civilian cars I used to have some years ago. The Humber had the wheel arches cut and widened four inches and the boot floor cut at an angle as per the army cars had done at the Briggs works. The picture with the Dutch number plate was after I sold the car.

Cheers Stan.

[T. Metsovitis]

Hello all,

I am afraid that I am terrible at car recognition . Could any of you more knowledgeable gents please tell me what this is? It was in use by the Royal Hellenic Air Force in 1940. The front end looks like an Opel Olympia but it has a split windscreen, the rear wings are different and the side-lights on the front wings are not Opel.
I wish I could get those blokes out of the way .

Thanks in advance

Fyll

[David_Hayward (RIP)]

I am terrible about identifying cars as well but it looks like a 1937 Oldsmobile G37 Eight. It's not an Opel.

[cliff]

Originally Posted by David_Hayward

I am terrible about identifying cars as well but it looks like a 1937 Oldsmobile G37 Eight. It's not an Opel.

It is in fact a 1938 Buick and not an Opel or Oldsmobile.

Photo matches up with photos found using a Google image search for 1938 Buick sedan. Identifying bit is the front bumper shape.

[T. Metsovitis]

David and Cliff hi,

Thank you both for your input . It seems that indeed it is a 1938 Buick.
Compared to civvy cars, military vehicle recognition is a piece of cake!

Fyll

[Rich Payne]

This is a damaged Ford lost by the BEF together with unfortunate casualty.

It carries the markings of 2 Corps and would appear to have been allocated to a medium regiment; Royal Artillery.

[chalky]

Slightly off topic but the WW2 French Generals seemed very fond of big American cars , any one any photos?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Caption: "Canadian Soldiers With Staff Car and Two Jeeps

Army of Occupation perhaps Or a base in the UK? Bags of time for spit and polish makes me think post-war years. Transport for the brass hats I'd say. Can anyone ID the markings on the vehicles?"


Source: https://flic.kr/p/ny3eAc

[lynx42]

Apart from the Maple Leaf signs, I can only identify the car as a 1939 Ford Fordor Deluxe.



Merry Christmas.
Rick.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks Rick. A beauty of a car it is.

[Ed Storey]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Caption: "Canadian Soldiers With Staff Car and Two Jeeps

Army of Occupation perhaps Or a base in the UK? Bags of time for spit and polish makes me think post-war years. Transport for the brass hats I'd say. Can anyone ID the markings on the vehicles?"

Source: https://flic.kr/p/ny3eAc

The markings appear to be those of CMHQ.

[Keith Brooker]

A few from my collection.
Keith

[Keith Brooker]

A few more from my collection.
Keith

[Steve Guthrie]

Originally Posted by Ed Storey

The markings appear to be those of CMHQ.

I agree Ed. The 'Arm of Service' marking is typical of CMHQ, a black field with an abbreviated title added to the GHQ white bar. The '39' Ford has a very early Census marking but no head light masks, just like the two jeeps. That an the high gloss paintwork would seem to indicate the immediate post war period. What sort of boots is the soldier on the left wearing?

[Ed Storey]

The footwear on the fellow on the left appear to be High Top 'Assault' Boots.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Bantam BRC-40 an Chevrolet(?) staff car in North Africa. Both camouflaged.

Courtesy of John J. Valenti.

[Keith Brooker]

A few more from my collection.

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Bantam BRC-40 an Chevrolet(?) staff car in North Africa. Both camouflaged.

Courtesy of John J. Valenti.

Attachment 120343

The Chevrolet sedan is a Fisher bodied 1940 model.

https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/upl...-Chevrolet.pdf .

It differed from the Australian body by having a one piece rear window and a slightly different shape to the boot area.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Keith Brooker

A few more from my collection.

Serious accidents were the order of the day, I reckon.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by lynx42

The Chevrolet sedan is a Fisher bodied 1940 model.

https://www.xr793.com/wp-content/upl...-Chevrolet.pdf .

It differed from the Australian body by having a one piece rear window and a slightly different shape to the boot area.

Thanks for that Rick. I grabbed some screenshots from that catalogue.



Despite the availability of "Knee-Action" IFS, I think the army went for the more conventional and sturdy leaf spring suspension.

[Lang]

All those 1930's ads show the cars elongated. If they thought people liked that look why did they not build them like that?

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Lang

All those 1930's ads show the cars elongated. If they thought people liked that look why did they not build them like that?

It's called "marketing". All they do is to lure you into buying that sleek limousine

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Despite the availability of "Knee-Action" IFS, I think the army went for the more conventional and sturdy leaf spring suspension.

As you know, Hanno, my 1940 Chev staff car was the car used by the then Brigadier Stanley Savige, as OIC 17th Brigade 6th Division AIF. It has the IFS set up. It also had a pack-rack for the sand channels and dents to show where it had been fitted and where the channels were thrown up, denting it above the rear window.



Here it is followed by my 1939 WA Chev, LRDP replica and my M3A1 White Scout Car.

Regards Rick.

[Keith Brooker]

A few more from my collection.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by lynx42

As you know, Hanno, my 1940 Chev staff car was the car used by the then Brigadier Stanley Savige, as OIC 17th Brigade 6th Division AIF. It has the IFS set up. It also had a pack-rack for the sand channels and dents to show where it had been fitted and where the channels were thrown up, denting it above the rear window.

Hello Rick, that's interesting to read.

I made my remark knowing that the army wouldn't order luxury vehicles but workhorses. Hence no 1940 Special De Luxe or Master De Luxe but a plain Master 85.

Apparently the configuration of the army vehicles differed from the civilian line up.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

"WW2 Canadian Soldier at Barriefield Camp
Barriefield Camp, Kingston, Ontario was a training school for the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps during WW2. The photo appears to be taken at a train station. Note the rail cars visible in the background.
The back of this snapshot has a pen and ink inscription,;
"This was on the film in Ward's camera when he left & I think was taken just before they joined the Perths - and still at Sussex I think in Sept.".
Perths would be the Perth Regiment and Sussex would refer to Camp Sussex, New Brunswick."


Source: https://flic.kr/p/8eufkP

[lynx42]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Hello Rick, that's interesting to read.

I made my remark knowing that the army wouldn't order luxury vehicles but workhorses. Hence no 1940 Special De Luxe or Master De Luxe but a plain Master 85.

Apparently the configuration of the army vehicles differed from the civilian line up.

This is the official Australian Army Registrations book showing my Chev, M-15, with engine number R1992353, a 5 passenger car, left from Melbourne with the 1st Contingent for the Middle East. It is a Chevrolet Pullman Ridemaster Deluxe. So I guess only the best will do for HQ 17th Brigade .



Regards Rick.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by lynx42

This is the official Australian Army Registrations book showing my Chev, M-15, with engine number R1992353, a 5 passenger car, left from Melbourne with the 1st Contingent for the Middle East. It is a Chevrolet Pullman Ridemaster Deluxe. So I guess only the best will do for HQ 17th Brigade

The Army must have ticked all the boxes on the options sheet for their HQ vehicles ;-)

As far as I know, in 1940 Chevrolet sold the Pullman and the Ridemaster (both with Deluxe options), but not a Pullman Ridemaster (ref https://ozgm.com/reference.htm).

Any which way, it is a lovely car!

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Picture of Bob Hunter, shared by his son Gord Hunter.

Ian McCallum noted it is a Ford 1940 LHD model. The 39 model had rear ‘suicide doors’, but on the 40 model the rear doors were mounted off the B posts.


(Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/3034...48527148681193)

[svdwal]

A Morris 8 e series that definitly has seen better days.
Picture taken at Dunkirk 1940.




I am restoring a 1939 Morris 8 e series at the moment that possibly had a army past in Ireland.

Rgds.

Sjoerd